


Tempestas

by loveavillain (copper28)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Storms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-21
Updated: 2015-09-21
Packaged: 2018-04-22 17:58:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4845014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/copper28/pseuds/loveavillain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lucius Malfoy is afraid of storms, and there's only one person who could possibly get him to sleep through it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tempestas

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this entirely in my phone notes, so it's possible I've left a few mistakes in here and I apologise if there is any! Lucius and Narcissa are characters that I adore, and I hope I've done them justice in this little scenario I've thrown them into. Hope you enjoy it as much as I liked writing it. I do have an idea for one more chapter, so let me know if you like it and I'll add a bit on. Thank you

Lucius Malfoy suffered greatly before, during, and after the war. His time in Azkaban scarred him, the long nights with the Dark Lord lurking his hallways still haunts him, Draco's face on the other side of the battleground gives him nightmares, and then being thrown back in prison did nothing to help his torment.

Though he was now free, the terror never really left him.

It's unknown to anyone, except two, that Lucius Malfoy is afraid of thunderstorms.

At first he tried to just stick it out. He'd lie awake as the thunder rolled over across the Manor, forcing himself not to imagine the crashing waves of the tides of Azkaban, not to think about the cold grasp of dementors... He could do it for one night. He could lie awake and watch Narcissa sleep beside him and get through the night without incident.

It was when a storm lasted days he encountered a problem.

 

The sky had been dark for hours, and the longer the black clouds lingered the more agitated Lucius became. He sat in his study, watching as the lightning forked, sending a flash of light across the Manor gardens. He jumped, and then flattened himself to his chair when the thunder boomed above, trying to keep a leash on the onslaught of abusive thoughts that had started running through his head. He hadn't slept well the night before, waking up in a cold sweat to a nightmare, thankfully not disturbing Narcissa in the process, and tiredness always made him a little more edgy but that was no excuse to jump at the slightest loud noise like a three year old. Of course, this thought didn't stop him from jumping out of his skin at the next bang of thunder.

"Why are you watching it?" Came a soft voice from the door.

Lucius tried to tell himself he hadn't tensed at the noise, and he turned in his chair, his gaze roaming over his wife. She stood waiting for his permission to enter at the door, white silk dressing gown wrapped tightly around her body. He smiled stiffly at her, and she crossed into his domain.

She walked slowly across the large room, moving to perch in front of him on his desk, following to where his gaze had turned back to the window. "It's meant to last all week." She murmured, folding her hands delicately in her lap.

Lucius huffed, his eyes narrowing at the clouds. "Wonderful. It will completely destroy those flowers you planted last week."

She raised an eyebrow, knowing full well he wasn't really worried about flowers she could restore with a flick of her wand. "Perhaps. Nothing that can't be fixed." Turning to the storm, she fell silent for a moment. "Will you be coming to bed soon, love?"

He nodded slowly, shifting in his chair just as another clap of thunder sounded. His hand curled into a fist, nails digging into skin as he resisted the urge to bite his lip. "Mhm."

Narcissa's gaze softened considerably as she looked from the storm to her husband. She wasn't stupid, she knew when he was in discomfort, and she knew that both storms and nightmares kept him awake at night. He'd been yet to confide in her however, and Narcissa hadn't wanted to push him into something he wasn't ready for, but it was beginning to get ridiculous, and his pride would stop him from asking for her help for a considerable amount of time. For a man who loved her absolutely, and a man who knew she loved him regardless of everything he had ever done and always would, he was remarkably slow to allow her to see his vulnerabilities. It was too far ingrained in him to be the perfect gentleman; he forgot he was allowed to just be Lucius her flawed and broken husband when no-one was watching.

She reached across the desk to pull him from his thoughts, her hand covering his clenched fist. He started only slightly, looking up at her with his tired grey eyes. She moved to stroke a finger along his jaw, tilting his head up to place a gentle kiss on his lips. "Come on."

Lucius sighed, slowly rising from the chair and pulling her off the desk to stand in front of him, her hand entwined with his. "I'll be with you soon." He said quietly, avoiding her gaze.

She shook her head. "No you won't." She wasn't going to let him have his way this time. He needed sleep, and he needed to know he didn't have to go through his mental torment alone. She wasn't about to let him lurk in his study until she fell asleep. "You're coming now, Lucius."

He opened his mouth to protest, but was silenced as she gave him a hard stare. He relaxed his shoulders, letting his arm in her grasp go slack in defeat. She gave a tiny grin of triumph, and she was pleased to see the warm spark of amusement glint in his eyes before it vanished. Another crack of thunder echoed across the manor, this one louder than the last. She saw the panic flick across him for a split second, and he leaned into her before he could stop himself. She squeezed his hand, tugging gently.

He went without another word, following Narcissa out and into the hall, his head bent down slightly. It was a behaviour she had noticed since the Dark Lord had been in their house. Lucius once prowled these halls like a King, but now, on the bad days, he slipped through the Manor like a scolded dog and it broke her heart.

They ghosted through the dark halls of the manor in silence, every small murmur of thunder making Lucius’s fingers tighten around hers. She never returned the gesture, simply holding his hand and leading him to their bedroom. She made a mental note as they arrived to get the new house elves to make sure the Manor was lit up with the odd candle at night, she hadn't missed the way Lucius's eyes lingered in the shadows with a haunted look, as if he was expecting them to take shape and leap towards them.

She pulled them towards the bed, closing the door softly behind them as Lucius dropped her hand and made his way wearily to their bed. "Has Draco written?" He asked mid-yawn.

Narcissa nodded, watching as he sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed his eyes. "Yes. He's been promoted at St Mungo's, head of his department now." She smiled fondly at her son's achievements. "He'll be joining us for dinner Sunday with Scorpius."

Lucius smiled at that. "That's our boy."

A sudden burst of lightning ruined the moment, and Lucius visibly flinched, then avoided Narcissa's gaze.

She sighed to herself, moving to kneel in front of him beside the bed between his legs, placing her hands on his sides. "Lucius. Look at me." She commanded, her thumb tracing a pattern across the bottom of his ribs. She could feel them through his thin shirt, and she wondered if he'd ever put back on the weight he'd lost in Azkaban years earlier.

He met her gaze reluctantly, his jaw clenched and his mask of indifference attempting to hide the shame she knew lingered in his expression. She looked at him with her heart on her sleeve, allowing all the concern and love and worry to be laid bare before him. "Please stop trying to shut me out."

She saw his mask slip, and then crack. He closed his eyes, a frown creasing his brows. "I don't mean to." He said quietly, his hands drifting to hold onto her arms at his sides. "I can't..." He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but he didn't have the words.

"Lucius, my love, you don't have to explain yourself to me. I understand. I want you to let me see when you're afraid, and when you're uncomfortable, and when you don't know what to do. Let me help you where I can. Tell me now how you feel." She said, her thumb continuing to draw soothing patterns across his rib.

His eyes opened again, and the grey she was so used to seeing flaring with power now seemed dull and frightened, and she wanted nothing more than to gather him into her arms and make everything okay again. "Now? I feel..." He glanced to the window, and sighed. "I don't like the storms. They remind me of Azkaban, and when he was here." He paused, chewing his words over in his head. "I feel cold, empty, frightened. I feel like however much things seem to get better, the worst will always be in sight."

Narcissa kept her gaze fixed to her husband as he talked, and when he was finished she moved a hand up to his face, threading her fingers through his soft blonde hair. "Okay." She said, smiling as her hand moved to cup the side of his face, her thumb stroking down his cheek.

He looked confused for a second. "Okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

"You don't... You don't think I'm a coward? Pathetic for being afraid of a storm?" He asked, and a clap of thunder sounded behind him, but he didn't react, intent on Narcissa's response.

Narcissa shook her head, letting her hand fall from his face to his shirt. She began to unbutton it, her fingers moving with a practiced ease. "Of course not. You have perfectly good reasons to be afraid, and I would never think of you as a coward, or pathetic. You are Lucius Malfoy," she pushed off the shirt over his shoulders, and moved to tug him out of his trousers. "You are the brave, cunning, resilient, strong and handsome man I married all those years ago. You are my strength; you will always be my strength, even when you are afraid. Let me be yours."

Lucius leaned forwards and stole her lips in a slow kiss that was full of love and adoration. He used the kiss to guide her up off the floor to settle in his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck as they lost themselves in one another. She pressed herself against him, warming his cool skin with hers, her hands finding themselves running repeatedly through his hair. He clung to her as if his life depended on it, and it wasn't until a boom of thunder so loud it shook the window panes that they broke apart.

His breath came at a quick pace, not unexpected considering they'd just spent ten minutes with their tongues down each other's throats, but Narcissa didn't like the way his eyes had flashed with fear, or the way his arms had tightened around her, like something or someone was coming to take her. She leaned her head forwards, resting her forehead against his. "I'm not going anywhere. You're not going anywhere. We're safe." She whispered gently, and he closed his eyes, moving their heads to hide his face against the crook of her neck. She wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders, playing with the ends of his hair as the rain began to fall.

It took a few more minutes before he pulled himself away from her, kissing her cheek. "You need to sleep." He said, standing with her in his arms in one swift movement. She chuckled, gazing at her husband affectionately as he threw back the duvet and manoeuvred them both into bed.

They settled facing each other, and Narcissa knew there was no way he would sleep if he was watching her. "You need sleep more than I do, I think."

"Nonsense." He growled, taking her hand and linking their fingers.

She raised an eyebrow, and the room was illuminated for a moment with lightning.

Lucius jerked at the resulting crack, and his gaze flicked from her to the window, and the shadows that lurked beyond the glass. His nostrils flared, and Narcissa couldn't help but lean towards him and press a kiss to unresponsive lips. His attention was brought back to her, and he squeezed her hand. "Sorry."

"You have nothing to apologise for, now turn over." She said, gently nudging his shoulder.

He frowned. "Why?"

"You won't sleep if you're watching me and the rain all night. Turn over so you've got your back to my chest." She said.

Lucius went to protest, but he knew a lost cause when he saw one when it came to his wife. He turned, and felt an instant discomfort and not knowing exactly where Narcissa was. "Cissy..."

She hummed her response, and pressed herself up against his back, one arm snaking underneath the gap between his neck and the pillow, and the other wrapping around to rest on his chest. "Better?" She murmured in his ear, his hair tickling her nose.

He relaxed against her warmth, leaning into her. "Better." He agreed, the weight of her arm and the feel of her against his back enough to quench his fear that if he wasn't watching her she'd disappear in the shadows.

"Good." She muttered, and he only gave a little start at the next sharp clap of thunder.

With Narcissa's steady breathing against his back, and the knowledge that she didn't think that he was a dirty great coward, Lucius was more relaxed than he had been in weeks. The storm was gradually growing more violent, but every time he tensed or jumped, Narcissa would nudge herself against him, or press her lips to his neck, or her hand would start tracing patterns along his chest. He lost himself in the rhythm of her fingertips ghosting along his skin, the warmth of her hand sending lightning bolts across his cooler body, and suddenly, the storm was just a storm again. The Dark Lord was dead, Azkaban was behind him, and his wife would always be here at the end of it all. As he finally drifted off into the first dreamless sleep he'd had in months, his final conscious thought was that he really, really loved his wife.


End file.
